2019-12-08: TheRangers 0-1 Celtic, League Cup

• League Cup Final

• Celtic win league cup title for 19th time.
• Fourth league title in a row, ten domestic titles in a row. Incredible achievement by Celtic.
• Celtic were swamped by Sevco who could have won 4-0. Yet Celtic win with only shot on target, the goal scored by Christopher Jullien.
• Celtic’s first cup final v Sevco ever.
• Goal has been called offside by various people, but from analysis of the pictures:
  a) Only the one Celtic player could be offside
  b) RFC no5 was in the middle of the 3
  c) It’s so marginal as to not conclusively know either way
  So can’t say it was definitively offside, enough to argue for onside and so goal stands. Linesman made the fair, correct & right decision. Only with VaR and enough time could a conclusive decision be made.
• Incredibly it was one of the most stressful matches ever to watch as a Celtic fan! Under the cosh for practically the whole game.
• Fourth league cup title in a row, ten domestic titles in a row. Incredible achievement by Celtic.
• Neil Lennon’s first League Cup title as a manager (won it twice as a player); only second manager in Scotland after Billy McNeill to have won all three trophies as both a player and as a manager.
• Forster the big hero, immense with repeat number of saves and saved a penalty.
• Sevco got their penalty✔️ Sevco got a Celtic player sent off✔️ Morelos allowed to foul at will✔️Morelos dived all day ✔️ Sevco STILL LOST!!
• Sevco’s Morelos had around 6-7 chances and still can’t score v Celtic, after 12 games. Disgracefully he got away with umpteen fouls yet never even a yellow card, should have been sent off
• Frimpong unlucky but was red carded after conceding penalty, but Forster saved it!
• Celtic were missing a number of key players due to injury etc (Edouard, Bolingoli etc on bench, Elyounoussi clearly unfit after injury, Simunovic still out etc, Griffiths not even in squad to everyone’s surprise)
• Eddy subbed on, but only did two things, so still made a big difference. He got the foul for the goal and set up the chance of the game which should have made it 2-0,
• “This will sicken Rangers (sic!) to the core of their being” Journalist Tom English on Radio Scotland on the league cup final Probably the best line of the night!
• Police: Eye witnesses describe a group of “around 40 Rangers (sic!) fans wearing balaclavas” getting off a bus and throwing bottles at Queens Park Cafe in Glasgow around 6pm.
• Neil Lennon has revealed the reason behind Leigh Griffiths’ absence from the Betfred Cup final. He said the striker couldn’t get on the bench because Odsonne Edouard was on it.
• Celtic lifted the self-imposed ticket block imposed on the Green Brigade for the final. Club had blocked the section of their support for away tickets for the final (and the home section too) following a third Uefa charge this campaign for banners and pyrotechnics on display during the 2-1 home win over Lazio.
• Sevco’s The Union Bears has hit out at Hampden security chiefs after a planned tifo for the Betfred Cup final was cancelled. A statement from the group read: “This is not the first time that Hampden security chief Brian Muir has tried to prevent football supporters from creating a visual display at Hampden with his stubborn attitude.”
• Boxing: Anthony Joshua regained his heavyweight belts the night before v US/Mexican Ruiz Jr, in Saudi Arabia.

Teams

Sevco

• 1McGregor
• 2Tavernier
• 6Goldson
• 5Helander· Substituted forKaticat 84’minutes
• · 31Barisic
• · 18KamaraBooked at 41mins· Substituted forDefoeat 71’minutes
• · 8Jack
• · 17AriboBooked at 71minsSubstituted forBarkerat 74’minutes
• 37ArfieldBooked at 65mins
• 20Morelos
• 14Kent

Substitutes

• 9Defoe
• 11Ojo
• 13Foderingham
• 15Flanagan
• 19Katic
• 21Barker
• 24Stewart

Celtic

• 67Forster
• 30FrimpongBooked at 63mins (straight red card)
• 2Jullien
• 35AjerBooked at 65mins
• 15Hayes
• 8Brown
• 42McGregorBooked at 77mins
• 49Forrest· Substituted forBittonat 66’minutes
• 17Christie
• 27Elyounoussi· Substituted forJohnstonat 45’minutes
• 16Morgan Substituted forEdouardat 59’minutes

Substitutes

• 1Gordon
• 6Bitton
• 18Rogic
• 19Johnston
• 21Ntcham
• 22Edouard
• 23Bolingoli-Mbombo

Referee:
William Collum
Attendance:
51,117

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match
• Match
• Post Match

MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner –

Stats

Sevco – Home
Celtic – Away

Possession
Home 50%
Celtic 50%

Shots
Home 16
Celtic 5

Shots on Target
Home 7
Celtic 1

Corners
Home 11
Celtic 1

Fouls
Home 19
Celtic 11

Articles

Rangers 0-1 Celtic: Jullien goal seals Betfred Cup win for ten-man Hoops as Forster shines

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/it-means-the-world-to-me-neil-lennon-proud-to-equal-celtic-legend-billy-mcneill-as-he-finally-wins-league-cup-and-completes-treble-as-player-and-manager-1-5058969
A range of emotions as Celtic edged out Rangers 1-0 at Hampden to win the Betfred Cup final
Stephen Halliday
Email
Published: 17:46
Updated: 18:48 Sunday 08 December 2019

An extraordinary Betfred Cup Final delivered the most compelling evidence yet that football’s normal law of averages simply does not apply to the current Celtic side who racked up a 10th consecutive domestic trophy triumph in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

Outplayed for most of the afternoon at a sodden National Stadium by Rangers, the Scottish champions pulled off a heist when Christopher Jullien scored the only goal on the hour mark.
Fraser Forster denies Ryan Jack (not in picture) with a fine one-handed save
Fraser Forster denies Ryan Jack (not in picture) with a fine one-handed save

If Jullien was the match-winner, Celtic’s hero was Fraser Forster. The on-loan Southampton goalkeeper defied Steven Gerrard’s side with a string of outstanding saves, including the one which kept out Alfredo Morelos’ penalty shortly after Celtic had gone in front.

Despite having to see out the game with 10 men, teenage defender Jeremie Frimpong having been sent off in conceding the penalty, Neil Lennon’s team displayed remarkable resilience to maintain their stranglehold on silverware.

Rangers’ wait for silverware goes on

For Rangers, the wait for a first trophy since 2011 continues. Gerrard and his players will wake up on Monday morning still struggling to comprehend just how they failed to end that drought.

As gratified as he would have been by the manner his team started the match and proceeded to dominate, Gerrard would have quickly felt a sense of frustration at their failure to translate that superiority onto the scoreboard. The more chances Rangers passed up, the more ominous it must have felt for their manager.

There was a far greater sense of urgency and desire from Rangers, in the sharpest contrast to an uncharacteristically flat and often apprehensive display from Celtic.

Lennon’s men were on the back foot from the opening exchanges when Connor Goldson should have managed to get at least one of a couple of headed efforts on target, instead screwing them wide, as he was picked out by James Tavernier’s precise deliveries.

Celtic’s defence were no more convincing in dealing with threats from the other flank and even the relatively diminutive Scott Arfield was able to meet a Borna Barisic cross and send a header wide of Forster’s left hand post.

Celtic simply couldn’t retain possession whenever they did venture into their attacking third of the pitch. Lewis Morgan flashed a shot wide after being picked out by James Forrest but the makeshift striker, again standing-in for Odsonne Edouard who was only fit enough for a place on the bench, generally struggled to make an impression.

The cup holders had Forster to thank for keeping them on level terms as the big goalkeeper made some outstanding interventions to defy Rangers. His leaping one-handed save to keep out Ryan Jack’s sweetly struck 25 yarder was the pick of the bunch.

Forster was almost embarrassed when a shot from Morelos squirmed through his legs on the treacherous surface but his blushes were spared as Jonny Hayes cleared off the line under pressure from Joe Aribo.

As Rangers remained in the ascendancy, Forster made another smart stop to keep out a low Morelos shot. The Colombian striker’s eagerness to claim his first goal in an Old Firm fixture clouded his judgement in the 28th minute when he brilliantly beat Kristoffer Ajer to surge into the penalty area.

Instead of cutting the back for Ryan Kent, who would have had a simple shooting chance, Morelos elected to try and beat Forster from a tight angle, providing a fairly simple save for the ‘keeper.

There was a scare for Rangers when Jack went down in agony after making a tremendous recovery challenge on Morgan to halt a dangerous counter attack from Celtic but the midfielder was able to continue after lengthy treatment.

Forster’s personal duel with Morelos continued five minutes before the break when the striker got on the end of a slick move involving Aribo and Arfield and again saw his shot smothered safely.

Unsurprisingly, Lennon made a change at half-time with the anonymous Mohamed Elyounoussi replaced by Mikey Johnston. But it made no immediate difference to the pattern of play as Morelos flashed another effort wide from a tight angle before Forster reacted sharply to scramble the ball away from Aribo inside the six yard box.

Morelos penalty claim

It was one-way traffic as Scott Brown was fortunate to survive a penalty claim against him for a challenge on Morelos who then forced another excellent save from Forster with a header from Tavernier’s free-kick.

Lennon was left with little option but to finally press Odsonne Edouard into action, the less than fully fit striker taking over from Morgan. He made a rapid impact, teasing a needless foul from Goldson for the free-kick which saw Celtic plunder the winning goal.

Ryan Christie whipped it over from the left and Jullien beat McGregor with a cute side-footed finish, assistant referee David Roome failing to spot that the defender had strayed offside.

If the Rangers players could scarcely credit falling behind, they showed no sign of feeling sorry for themselves. They were immediately back on the front foot and earned the opportunity to equalise three minutes later.

Morelos v Forster part 2

Frimpong was caught on the wrong side of Morelos in the box and the full-back’s clumsy challenge gave referee Willie Collum a simple decision to make as he pointed to the spot and produced the red card for Frimpong.

But Morelos, Rangers’ newly designated penalty taker, fluffed his lines against Celtic once more as Forster dived to his right to keep the ball out.

Johnston should have piled on the agony for Rangers when he was sent clear on the counter by Edouard but the winger wastefully dragged his shot wide of McGregor’s left hand post.

Gerrard sent on Jermain Defoe and Brandon Barker for the closing stages but Celtic’s management of the last half hour or so with just 10 men was admirable.

Inevitably, Rangers’ best chances for an equaliser fell to Morelos but he was unable to salvage the situation or his own wretched afternoon, blazing one attempt wildly over and then, in stoppage time, slashing another wide.

Analysis: A day when Hampden felt like Hampden should

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/analysis-a-day-when-hampden-felt-like-hampden-should-1-5058993
Alan Pattullo
Published: 22:30 Sunday 08 December 2019

It was impossible to tear your eyes from this revival of an old show in Mount Florida from the moment Scott Brown started throwing shade while going down the line at the pre-match handshakes. That was about the only time Celtic managed to go toe-to-toe with Rangers in an impossibly one-sided opening hour.

So quite why Brown was the one climbing the steps to receive the trophy at around 5pm will keep counsellors occupied for years to come as Rangers fans try to fathom what on earth happened here. Is it something they did in a past life?

Celtic fans will reply emphatically that it was. This was supposed to relaunch Rangers after the so-called “banter years”. Instead, it will haunt them.

Steven Gerrard, whose Ibrox contract extension is due to be announced today, will still be processing the manner of this loss when he is Liverpool manager. What was it that Tommy Burns said about Andy Goram? And so it was here for Gerrard: “Fraser Forster broke my heart.”

That slip against Chelsea has been reduced to a minor irritation. The time ten men won the cup is the flashback that will keep Gerrard up at night.

Hopefully, in time, some consolation will be sourced from knowing he was part of an afternoon that a good football man like him will recognise for what it was. Utterly compelling. Viewers in England looked in, were reminded of something that’s been lost and thought: I’ll have some of that.

A lot of this was very old school, including Rangers not giving possession back after Celtic had played the ball out for Christopher Jullien to receive treatment. Ryan Kent scuttled off with the ball to a volley of boos.

Broadcaster Danny Baker was moved to tweet that “the Rangers Celtic match should be compulsory viewing for all those gargoyles still in favour of VAR. It is like the Wild West and makes the current Premier League offerings look like clockwork sterile anaemic pap they most often are now.”

It was true. It was one of those occasions when Hampden felt like Hampden should – and probably always did in the 1970s and beyond. The swirling rain and refusal of around 75 per cent of the crowd to sit added to the effect.

While Baker is a vocal opponent of refereeing the game remotely, Rangers supporters desperately wished the option of going to a studio in a business park in Rutherglen was available to referee Willie Collum given the manner of the winning goal. Goalscorer Jullien was only one of three Celtic players who had strayed offside.

Never mind outside Hampden, at times it seemed like there was barely anyone refereeing the game from inside the ground. Collum decided to be as laissez-faire as possible. Ryan Jack, meanwhile, played on despite leaving half his knee in the Hampden turf. Jonny Hayes’ shinguards fluttered up after a challenge and he carried on without them, socks round his ankles.

Kick-off took place in clouds of pyro smoke from the west end of the ground – have Rangers not learned from the last time they played in a final, just over three years ago? But this time no one emerged from the mist to put them one down within minutes, a la Anthony Stokes for Hibs at the Scottish Cup final in 2016. Rather, their opponents, in this case Celtic, seemed to perform a disappearing act.

Literally so, in the case of Mohamed Elyounoussi, who paid the price for a lacklustre first half and was not seen again. But then Neil Lennon had cause to replace any of the ten outfield players who were being bailed out time and time again by Fraser “The Wall” Forster.
Transfer move: Steven Gerrard
Rangers eye shock transfer move, Celtic set to miss…

Had it not been for him, Celtic’s hopes would have gone up in a cloud of smoke by half-time. He continued to re-establish himself as a goalkeeper of worth. The nationwide interest in this game might well help revive his England international prospects. He was superb and would have walked the man of the match award even without the pivotal penalty stop that denied Alfredo Morelos a first goal against Celtic.

The pick of his saves was when he clawed away a dipping effort by Ryan Jack in the first half. As he did so, the hoardings behind him suddenly switched to display an advert for a construction firm where the predominant graphic was… a brick wall. Eerie, huh? Another one came up soon afterwards: PTS Clean – The Cleaning Machine People.

Still, it seemed unlikely Forster would emerge with the spotless sheet he deserved, especially since Jeremie Frimpong was red-carded for the incident that handed Morelos a golden chance to end his Celtic jinx and put Rangers back on level terms.

The Celtic right-back received a gentle kiss to his head from Lennon as he departed. All this touchy-feely stuff on the touchline. What has Duncan Ferguson started?

Odsonne Edouard, not Frimpong, was the anointed one. He seems not to have to do very much at all to outdo Morelos. He came on after 58 minutes to the kind of roar that normally greets one of his goals. Celtic had become so overrun it was getting desperate. It’s more likely the plan was for Edouard to appear on the hour mark – managers are often quite OCD in this regard. But Celtic simply could not afford to wait those two extra minutes.

Remarkably, Celtic were actually leading by the end of the 60th minute. Edouard’s boot might not have connected with the ball. Nevertheless, the French striker deserved an assist at least for creating the euphoria that generated the atmosphere where the ball was almost sucked into the net at their end by the Celtic 
supporters.

‘It means the world to me’ – Neil Lennon proud to equal Celtic legend Billy McNeill as he finally wins League Cup and completes treble as player and manager

Neil Lennon celebrates at full time
Neil Lennon celebrates at full time
Stephen Halliday
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Published: 19:01
Updated: 19:03 Sunday 08 December 2019
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https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/it-means-the-world-to-me-neil-lennon-proud-to-equal-celtic-legend-billy-mcneill-as-he-finally-wins-league-cup-and-completes-treble-as-player-and-manager-1-5058969

Neil Lennon has spoken of his pride in becoming only the second man in Scottish football history to win all three domestic trophies as both a player and manager at the same club.

Celtic’s dramatic 1-0 win over Rangers in the League Cup Final at Hampden saw Lennon emulate the iconic figure of Billy McNeill in achieving the feat.

Lennon suffered defeat in two League Cup Finals during his first spell as Celtic manager but Christopher Jullien’s 60th minute goal saw his off-colour side find a way to beat a Rangers team who were the better side for much of the afternoon at Hampden.

Admitting that he was reluctant to comment on matching McNeill’s record in the build-up to the match, Lennon was full of praise for the manner in which Celtic, inspired by goalkeeper Fraser Forster who saved a penalty from Alfredo Morelos, secured a 10th consecutive domestic trophy triumph.

“I didn’t want to talk about it (equalling McNeill) before the game but it means the world to me,” said Lennon.

“The League Cup has been something of a monkey on my back as a manager. It owed me one. When we lost the final here to Kilmarnock in 2012, we should have had it home and hosed. So I feel I was due one. It’s just nice to tick that box as a manager.

“Obviously you want to do it in spectacular fashion at times but that’s not always possible. I’m thrilled, really proud of the players. We had to dig in today. I don’t think we played well, we didn’t play well in the first-half. We had to rely on Fraser at times to make some world-class saves.

“Then we showed great resilience, great mentality, to get the goal. Then there is a red card for Jeremie Frimpong when we concede the penalty and then they have to dig in again. Mikey Johnston had a great chance to make it 2-0, but I am sure Rangers will say they had some great chances to win the game as well, which they did.

“To come through it and win 10 major trophies is unbelievable. The character and the pride and the resilience that they showed today was outstanding. Sometimes they don’t get asked too many questions at domestic level, but they showed today they have that in abundance as well.

“I don’t know what you would compare it with, winning 10 trophies in a row – with other clubs around the world or other teams in Scottish football. I’ve not really looked into that but it’s incredible. It’s easy to give it up, to think ‘Oh, it’s not our day today and that’s the end of it’ but they just won’t. It’s amazing. They are an incredible group of players.”

Lennon had special words of commendation for Forster, whose return to Celtic on loan from Southampton has proved a huge success.

“I’ve not seen a goalkeeping performance or goalkeeper like him for a long time,” said Lennon. “In his first spell here he did some incredible things and now he’s doing it again in his second spell. We’re grateful to have him. He’s buzzing and thrilled to be here. We needed him today. He just stood up and made saves that other goalkeepers can’t make.”

BBC

By Tom English

BBC Scotland’s chief sportswriter at Hampden Park

From the section Scottish League Cup

Ten-man Celtic survived a Rangers onslaught – including a missed penalty – to clinch their fourth Scottish League Cup in a row and 10th consecutive domestic trophy.

Christopher Jullien slammed in the winner with Celtic’s only shot on target, though the French defender appeared a yard offside.

But three minutes later in a frantic contest, Jeremie Frimpong was sent off after fouling Alfredo Morelos in the box, only for Fraser Forster to save the Colombian’s penalty.

That was only one of a series of brilliant saves by the Celtic goalkeeper, who spectacularly denied Ryan Jack before the break as well as Morelos on three occasions.

The Rangers striker wasted a number of other opportunities including one in stoppage time as, despite finding the net 25 times this season, he remains without a goal against Celtic.

Neil Lennon’s side demonstrated impressive resilience as they further burnish their dominance of Scottish football and are now 31 domestic cup matches unbeaten.

‘Rangers seize final by the throat’

To say that Rangers were dominant in the opening half would be the understatement of the season. They should have been at least one goal, and probably more, ahead such was their control. Rangers came out of the traps with aggression, energy and intent. They pressed Celtic into a state of distraction. Not only could the champions not raise any kind of gallop in attack, they could scarcely keep hold of what little of the ball they had.

Inspired by the desire and intelligence of Jack and Glen Kamara, Rangers seized the final by the throat from the first whistle. They forced three corners inside seven minutes and won the header each time. Connor Goldson had two reasonable chances to put them ahead. Filip Helander won the third one as Celtic’s defence looked in serious trouble.

There was more to come from Gerrard’s team. Not a goal, but chance after chance. Jack launched a rocket from miles out and Forster, at full stretch, tipped it away brilliantly. Rangers’ chances and Forster’s saves became a recurring theme.

Incredibly, Goldson had another look from a corner just 16 minutes in. Soon after, Morelos – no goal in 10 Old Firm games – saw his first shot of the final squirm under Forster’s body. Celtic got lucky there. Jonny Hayes was first to the loose ball and hacked clear as Joe Aribo loitered.

None of Celtic’s go-to men were at the races, not Scott Brown, not Callum McGregor, not James Forrest, not Ryan Christie. Odsonne Edouard was not fit enough to start the final – he was on the bench – and how they missed his physicality. The fact that Rangers were utterly controlling things without the injured Steven Davis was all the more impressive.

They needed a goal, though. And it refused to come. That was their undoing, their horror. Morelos got himself free again but his shot was met with a low save from Forster. Kristoffer Ajer had a header for Celtic that reminded you that they still existed in the game but the normal flow continued directly with more Rangers chances on the back of more Celtic errors forced from them by the blue storm.

Morelos skipped away from Ajer down the right and, on the angle, fired directly at Forster. Ten minutes later he went again, but this time Forster kicked away his attempt with his right foot. Morelos really should have put that one away.

Celtic were being schooled, their only saving grace being that they were somehow level. They couldn’t live with the intensity of their rivals. At the break, Mohamed Elyounoussi, anonymous and clearly still unfit after a month out, was replaced by Mikey Johnston but the theme carried on as before.
Alfredo Morelos
Afredo Morelos’ spot kick was saved by Fraser Forster

Only now it became madcap, something that belonged more on a movie set than a football stadium. Early in the new half, Aribo found Morelos at the back post and his touch practically carried along the face of Celtic’s goal-line to safety. It was a surreal moment. Next, after excellent work from Morelos and woeful Celtic defending, Aribo had his shot hoofed away by the colossus in Celtic’s goal.

A few minutes later, another golden moment for Rangers and another for the one-man drama, Morelos. His close-range header had to find the net – just had to – but when it came back up off the turf Forster palmed it away. Three massive moments in five minutes and still no Rangers goal.

Then there was a huge penalty shout for Gerrard’s side. Morelos tried to bring the ball down in the box only to crumple with Brown in close proximity. Footage showed the Celtic captain catch the Colombian in the back of the leg, but no award was given as Morelos clattered to the turf.
‘Topping the bizarre-o-meter’

This outrageously compelling and consistently trippy final then went up another notch on the bizarre-o-meter. Having been out-fought, out-thought and out-played, Celtic went ahead when Jullien slammed home from Christie’s free-kick. Not only was Jullien offside when he scored, so was Edouard, on the field in the midst of this Celtic crisis, and one other. Three men offside and yet referee Willie Collum and his officials said the goal was good.

Rangers were shell-shocked for three minutes, then had their spirits soaring when they won a penalty and saw Frimpong red-carded in the act of fouling Morelos, and then returned to the ranks of the haunted when the striker had his penalty saved by the unbeatable Celtic goalkeeper.

There was no doubting Frimpong’s offence and no arguing with his dismissal. Morelos got in behind him and the young man panicked. So, too, did Rangers. James Tavernier, the usual penalty taker, ceded responsibility to Morelos – what an enormous talking point that will be – and Morelos botched it. His shot was unconvincing, Forster saving to his right.

The goalkeeper was off his line – most of them are in such situations – and that will only add to the torment Rangers are going to experience now. The 10 men might even have made it 2-0 when Edouard put Johnston clear on the counter-attack only for the winger to push his shot wide.

Rangers had a late claim for a second penalty when Johnston and – who else? – Morelos collided in the box, but nothing was given. Later still – two minutes into injury time – Morelos peeled off his marker in the box and whipped his shot across the face of Forster’s goal. The Colombian looked forlorn. He never, ever stopped trying, but his was a nightmarish final of multiple missed opportunities.

Celtic survived until the end and won their 10th straight trophy in the most unimaginable circumstances. Rangers will scream and holler about the illegitimacy of the winner – with due cause – but they will also double over in pain at all those chances they created and all those chances that were saved by Forster, Celtic’s redoubtable giant.
Man of the match – Fraser Forster

Forster shouldn’t just get one winner’s medal, he should get all of Celtic’s winners’ medals. Save upon save, defiance upon defiance. He broke Morelos’ heart out there.

---

BBC

Rangers 0-1 Celtic: Neil Lennon hails ‘amazing’ 10-man cup winners

From the section Celtic

Celtic: Neil Lennon hails his side’s League Cup win over Rangers

Celtic were “fortunate” to survive a Rangers bombardment and lift the League Cup with 10 men, says manager Neil Lennon.

Lennon’s side clinched a fourth League Cup in a row as Christopher Jullien’s goal settled a dramatic final.

Celtic had Jeremie Frimpong sent off while goalkeeper Fraser Forster pulled off a string of saves, including saving Alfredo Morelos’ penalty.

“This team just doesn’t know when it’s beaten,” Lennon told BBC Scotland.

“We weren’t great today but we still won and that’s what cup football is all about.

“They still dig it out and dig it out. They’re amazing.”

10-man Celtic beat Rangers to lift League Cup
Rangers 0-1 Celtic: Reaction & how it happened
Player Rater: Who was man of the match?

Celtic have now won 10 consecutive domestic trophies in a row after Frenchman Jullien slammed in the winner with Celtic’s only shot on target, though the defender appeared a yard offside.

But three minutes later in a frantic contest, Frimpong was sent off after fouling Morelos in the box, only for Forster to save the Colombian’s penalty.

“Fraser Forster was outstanding,” said Lennon. “He made some unbelievable saves, world-class saves.

“We didn’t get going in the first half, second half we were better. The introduction of Odsonne [Edouard] gave us a real spark. The mentality of the team is amazing. They’ve won 10 in a row – I don’t know how they do it.

“You’ve got to give credit to Rangers today they played great and made the cup final what it was.”
Celtic’s Jeremie Frimpong says he is ‘buzzing’ after Celtic’s League Cup victory
‘Played better with 10 men’

Lennon also hailed the performance of right-back Frimpong – who is just two days short of his 19th birthday – despite his red card. And the Celtic manager also gave a special mention to “unbelievable” centre-back Kristoffer Ajer.

“You fear the worst at 10 men anyway, there’s 25 minutes still to go,” said the Northern Irishman. “We actually played better with 10 men at times.

“It’s been a tumultuous run of games, we’ve come through it. It’s 12 wins in a row. Yes we were fortunate today, I’ll admit that, but that’s what happens in cup finals – we need that resilience and quality to get over the line.

“I didn’t even celebrate it [the goal]. I was too wrapped up in how we were playing and how we were going to get a proper foothold in the game.

“We are talking 10 major trophies now in a row. We don’t want to give anything up. We weren’t great today but we still won and that’s what cup football is all about.”

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Half Time

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Booking

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Kick Off

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